Horses for courses

Share

IT’S a small world – especially so when it comes to business. As much as small to medium enterprises try to carve their own niche, there will enevitably be a little bit of cross-over with others in a similar field.

This is especially evident in the world of business networking. Some groups insist on professional lock-out, others allow a free for all and encourage people from the same industry to find ways of working together. Having been involved with both types of group, the latter set is our favourite – we believe there’s room for everyone in business and there’s no need for hair pulling and eyeball scratching in the scramble to win business. Continue reading

Share
Posted in business, business networking, PR | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Pack a punch with pictures: part 1

Share

IF US Tigers had a pound for every time we’ve seen promotional opportunities missed because companies have failed to come up with decent photographs we’d be very ‘fat’ cats.

Photographs are one of the most commonly neglected areas of business marketing plans, yet a decent image library is a really simple thing to create that can reap dividends on the promotional front.

During our time as journalists we’ve seen some of the world’s most groan-worthy shots – from the infamous pointing picture and dull cheque presentations (even if it’s a big cheque, it’s still boring!), through to rows of suits shaking hands –there are far too many to count.
But, oh, for that rare moment of joy – a strong, good quality image that sells a story, really captures the essence of the message and has reader appeal. Continue reading

Share
Posted in marketing, Media, PR | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

It’s not that brands are bad, it’s that they’re doing it badly!

Share

WE were disappointed to read this morning’s Telegraph article claiming Brits are fed up with brands cluttering up their social media space.

Being huge advocates of social media for business, we decided to dig a bit deeper and find out what was actually going on. So, we followed the links from the newspaper’s rant, sorry, article, to the people who came up with the statistics – TNS Digital life.

Surprise surprise, the survey actually looked at whether people wanted to BUY PRODUCTS on social media. Well, of course they don’t – that’s not what it’s there for. If we want to buy a product, or to find out more about a particular product, we go to the website, or look at a catalogue or even pop along to our local Argos branch, right? Continue reading

Share
Posted in business, marketing, PR, social media | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

What’s wrong with telling the truth?

Share

US Tigers pride ourselves on authenticity. We like to be transparent and we like the businesses we work with to understand exactly what we’re doing for them.

That’s how it should be, right? See no evil, speak no evil, hear no evil… just concentrate on the good stuff.

So, it seems astounding that we should come under fire from some quarters of the business world for revealing too much. Apparently, when we tell you how social media works, how to generate positive PR for your business or even how to write a blog, we’re letting out too many trade secrets. Continue reading

Share
Posted in business, LimeStripes, marketing, Media, social media, twitter | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Fresh is best, says Google

Share

SEARCH engine giant Google has been tweaking its algorithms again and this time, it’s claimed the changes will affect more than a third of all searches.

The modification – hailed as “a significant improvement to our ranking algorithm” by Google Fellow Amit Singhall  –  are designed for queries about recent events and hot topics, “recurring events” and “frequent updates”.

Continue reading

Share
Posted in blogs, business, Google, marketing, PR, social media | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Quite Remarkable: How to use QR codes for business

Share

A WHILE back, using Facebook, we asked you which of these four subjects you’d like us to blog on:

  • Generating Positive PR
  • Effective use of QR Codes
  • Public speaking
  • Capitalising on Twitter search options

Well, (drum roll please) the results are in and we have two equal winners – PR and QR Codes Today we thought we’d get the ball rolling by talking about the latter topic. Continue reading

Share
Posted in marketing, PR | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Google drops Twitter

Share

BLIMEY! What a lot of fuss and panic. Mass hysteria. Social media spammers running around like headless, errm, twickens…

Okay, so maybe there’s just a smidgeon of hyperbole in our intro but, really, Google’s suspension of its Realtime Search isn’t the end of the world. Since the announcement, on July 2, that Google’s agreement with Twitter had expired, we’ve heard all kinds of kneejerk reactions, largely from businesses trying to use Twitter to boost their search rankings.

Calm down. It’s okay. DON’T PANIC!

It’s no big secret that Google is busily beavering away on its own social media offerings… we’ve all heard the stories about its bid to create a Facebook rival and many of us have noticed Google+ being rolled out (click the link to find out more). Continue reading

Share
Posted in PR | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Ten top tips for business PR

Share

AT Turquoise Tiger, we like nothing more than a challenge. So, when we asked YOU what you’d like us to blog about, we had every intention of delivering.

Thing is, we’ve had a veritable smörgåsbord of requests. Wow – you guys are demanding, and we love it!

So, rather than trying to answer everything at once, we’ll start with the most popular suggestion: PR. In this blog, we hope to present a quick snapshot of public relations, perhaps provide you with a few tips and some simple do’s and don’t’s. Continue reading

Share
Posted in business, marketing, PR, social media | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Understanding Simple Promotion – a USP for business

Share

NOT too long ago, a new client asked us: “How can you be experts in PR and social media?” At the time, we thought it was an odd question, in hindsight, it makes perfect sense.

The problem is that too many people are trying to create a niche that just isn’t there to be carved out. We shouldn’t be too hard on them; it’s a tough market out there and everyone’s trying to find their own Unique Selling Point, right?

Here’s where we run into difficulties.

Pretty much every start-up business has the USP message drummed into them – it’s vital to be unique in your marketplace… you need to offer something new and different… your product offering must address a real need that’s not already being filled… yada, yada, yada. We reckon they’re missing the point.  Continue reading

Share
Posted in business, PR, social media | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Introducing The Feelgood Show

Share

THE economy’s in a mess, it’s getting harder to make ends meet, the news is full of war and natural disasters. It’s enough to make even those of us who have a ‘glass is half full’ attitude reach for that glass of wine/chocolate bar/cigarette – delete as applicable.

Sometimes it can be hard to rise above the horrible headlines, negative attitudes and aggressive, narrow mindsets, but rise above it we must.

Now, arguably more than ever, is the time for some real understanding, forgiveness, positivity and action. We need to be kind to ourselves and others and take some much needed time out. That’s why the Turquoise Tigers are launching The Feelgood Show – an event that aims to do exactly what it says on the can – help you and those you care about feel good. Continue reading

Share
Posted in Event Management, General, Personal Development | 1 Comment